The Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over an agreement for the largest arms transfer in history between the ex-Cold War adversaries, according to two people familiar with a deal that could irk China and sideline Russia.
A package, which could come together within the next year, could consummate the newly upgraded partnership betweenwith the sale of a fleet of American F-16 fighter jets as the Southeast Asian nation faces tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea, one of the people said.
"We have a very productive and promising security relationship with the Vietnamese and we do see interesting movement from them in some U.S. systems, in particular anything that can help them better monitor their maritime domain, perhaps transport aircraft and some other platforms," said a U.S. official.
"They are developing asymmetric defensive capabilities, but to do so without triggering a response from China," said Jeffrey Ordaniel, associate professor of international security studies at Tokyo International University and director for maritime security at Pacific Forum International, a think tank. "It is a delicate balancing act."
The diplomatic turnaround marks a sharp pivot nearly a half-century after the end of the Vietnam War.
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